Tom Brady Recruited Bucs as Much as They Recruited Him

Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht says his new QB was already sold when free agency opened.

It made plenty of sense why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would make a strong play for Tom Brady as soon as free agency kicked off nearly two weeks ago.

But what surprised the Bucs' management was how much Brady was ready to sell himself to Tampa Bay.

Speaking Monday morning on ESPN's "Get Up," Bucs general manager Jason Licht discussed that first phone call with Brady after free agency opened on Wednesday, March 18th. He says it was clear from the beginning that Brady wanted to be in Tampa Bay as much as the Bucs wanted him there:

There are obviously plenty of reasons for Brady to be excited about playing for the Bucs, including a pair of Pro Bowl wide receivers, an experienced coaching staff, and one of the most promising defenses in the entire NFL.

But for one of the league's most dismal franchises over their history, it still feels surreal that the greatest quarterback of all time would make a hard sell to join them, rather than having the Bucs throwing the kitchen sink at him just to get his attention.